Shakespeare in the park ?

[Helen Kingsley]

"So does this, but I don't use fists that much, that helps a little, too." Tactics... Keep moving, never go in if you don't know how to get out again, try to keep track of people. You don't have to see them, but it's good if you know they're there, a bit like driving on the highway. Watch out for groups, nothing can ruin your day like that buddy you didn't expect. Don't get boxed in, stay away from corners, never turn your back until it's safe."

But that's nothing Jennifer needs to get into right now, at that level, it's better like that.

"Pretty much. Point is, right now, you want to keep the other guy at a distance about a little under an arm's length away, because you might end up in some situations where that distance is the only friend you've got. You got shorter reach, okay, you gotta counterattack and enter their 'hit zone', but thats not the problem. But some girl gets too close, you got more than feet and hands to worry about, now there's also knees and elbows. Also most scumbags don't do Tony Todd in The Rock and telegraph they got some knife to fuck you up. They let you close in, keep one hand a little obscured and before you know it, you two are at cuddling distance and you find out the hard way you've just brought fists to a knife-fight. So, what can we do to keep someone out of cuddling range ? We got the boxing stuff, sure, what else ?"

Helen resumes her position ans waits for Jennifer to follow suit.

"We can kick. Easy, pretty intuitive, but dangerous. The other guy catches that foot, everything below your beltline just became his personal property. Thats not a good thing. Also, you're off-balance and easy to topple or otherwise being floored. Don't get floored, you go down, you're done. So... kicks, kicking privates is effective, but risky. Best bet is to keep it low and simple where they can't grab it just like that. Feet, ankles, shins, knees. No higher if you can help it. Try to hit the knee from the side, enough force and that's it for that guy for the night."

She demonstrates, slowly though, and although she wobbles a little, she manages to keep her balance.

"You can also hit them with your fist like so." A few more slow mock-punches, only Helen doesn't punch with the knuckles but with the underside. It's basically a karate-chop, only with a closed fist. "Leverage isn't too bad and you're using the padded underside. Less danger to break knuckles or something." She pretends to hit Jennifer's chest with the palm of her hand. "Palm strike, good for the nose, under the chin or just to the chest to get folks to back off a little. I like it because it's a neat little trick for going on, too." Her fingers curl forward and dig into Jennifers cardigan. She tugs at it just a little to make Jennifer aware she's doing it. "I can see if I can get you to the ground, if I'm fast enough." However she pulls a little stronger downward and hints at pulling Jennifer into a knee strike. "I mostly do that with elbows, but knees also work well and they're not as sensitive. More force, more pain. Same as with fists though. You use knees, make sure to go where there's not as many bones in the way. Privates, gut, if you really want to show off, you can try liver or kidneys, but thats a little advanced for now. The only thing that's really important is the mindset. Your ass is on the line so you better commit." She lets go of the cardigan. "Maybe you're the lovechild of Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King. You're some talker, you're a really nice person and you have never so much as hurt a fly. Maybe you're afraid of hurting people or the guilt after doing so.

Fuck all that.

Your ass is on the line. You can't go half-assed. You mustn't be afraid to hurt someone or pull your punches because you're afraiud of getting hurt yourself. Its a pretty ugly proposition, but if you want to come out in one piece, you mustn't be afraid of all that. Quite the opposite. I've found on some level, deep down, you must be willing to hurt the other guy as bad as necessary. Some folks even say you must want to hurt the other guy. A lot of people find that runs straight against how they think of themselves or their self-image. There's some truth in that. It won't be pretty, but it keeps you alive. Also I like to think it really helps not to get into it too much."

She chuckles.

"Lots to take in, I know. Any questions, clarifications or repeat demonstrations before we get to the fun part ?"

[Jennifer Hazelton]

It was a lot to take in. Jennifer considered quietly for a few moments.

"I would like to think that I would be able to notice and track opponents. Well knees and all that does sound like trouble." She had not practiced blocking those techniques at all.
I will avoid kicks to those risky areas."

Jennifer watches Helen's palm strike and models her hand in the same shape. Jennifer tenses as Helen grabs the cardigan, aware that this would be a good position for Helen to teach by example. Yet she focuses on listening to Helen's instruction. She relaxes somewhat when Helen releases her. There is a moment of silence as she digests what Helen shares, visualizing striking the areas that Helen describes. Jennifer makes a palm strike off into open air, aiming at a nose height. She pauses and imagines the strike landing. She makes a second palm strike, trying to be quicker as she imagines would be better to work in a real situation. It still did not feel very natural.
"Looks like I need to work on that. I feel like I could definitely hurt someone if I have to. Or if I have to protect someone. There may be people who have even less skill than I have right now.
The knee kick to the privates- I am guessing that I should be watching the person's eyes to avoid telegraphing the hit?"





"Once I get any decent skill with basic techniques, could we practice what to do if one is thrown to the ground? A prone position - is that the term- seems a pretty bad position to be in.

[Helen Kingsley]

"It does. Hence you try to keep them far away enough they can't reach you with that."

Looks like they're getting somewhere. Good. Still, a look at the watch shows time's been running. Helen ponders while she looks at Jennifer's strikes.

"Looks good, just watch the fingers. They get in the way or the other guy gets a hold of them, they snap pretty easily." That much is obvious, but reinforcing the point helps in her mind. Becasue fighting with busted fingers is about as fun as fighting with a few busted ribs. "Let's do that and the short range stuff a little more." She leads Jennifer through a few more series of repetitions, corrects a few minor details here and there, but so far, it looks like Jennifer has the basics down enough to have something to go on from.

"Yeap, that'll definitely help. Still, you need to keep your peripheral vision on what they're doing, so you don't get caught off-guard. So that's one of the things to practice in your free time: Looking out of the corners of your eyes without moving your eyes.

Do you dance ? If so, you might find this easier. We'll play a little game now. Starting pretty slow and speeding it up once I think you're getting too comfortable. It's pretty simple. Your job is to keep the distance between us once I start moving around. Whatever I do, you'll try to stay with me, but only just. I get close enough to knock your ass down, you lose. I get far away enough to disengage and walk off, you lose. You also need to maintain facing. I'll try to get around you. I get an unobstructed shot at your liver, kidneys or back, I'll take it. You won't insta-lose, but that shit hurts."

She gives Jennifer an encouraging grin that might just slightly not quite come across as such.

"We'll make each round a straight minute. All you have to do is run out the clock without getting beaten up too hard. Easy, right ? For starters, I won't go for cheap shots, trip-ups or grapples yet. Punches and kicks only, although again, you invite a throw, I'll take it. You just do whatever you have to do to keep me off your ass."

With that, she gives Jennifer a few more seconds to digest before she slowly begins circling the Priscus. Occasionally, she changes direction or makes a step towards or away from Jennifer. Walking pace, not too much upper body movement. Just to slowly ease Jennifer into it.

"Sure, don't see why not. Drop me a line and we're good to go."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer thought for a moment, considering what she could do to keep an opponent far away.

Jennifer repeated the movement, this time focussing on her fingers. Yes, it would take practice to remember to keep those fingers in the proper place.
"That is going to take some time." She admitted, making the choice to open up her thoughts to give Helen a glimpse of what she was thinking. Jennifer attended Helen's instruction on the close range repetitions. Yes, she definitely would need to practice.

"No, I do not dance. I was more of a scholar in life. I only started branching out to learn different skills in the last decade." Jennifer confided.
"Ah, a game. Sounds like I am in for a bruising." Jennifer smiled slightly. If she still bruised.
Jennifer watched Helen and began to shadow Helen's movements. Close enough to keep Helen engaged. Far enough to avoid those damaging blows. "Easy." The smirk made an appearance.
Jennifer did enjoy challenges.

"This is good. I am enjoying this practice." Jennifer admitted. Was it surprising? Yes. Perhaps because Helen was unlike other teachers that Jennifer had been taught by?

She would have to practice these kicks. I am going to have to masquerade as a mortal to take some martial class, she mused. It would let her train with people who would be easier for her to compete with. Although I will need to continue to challenge myself if I am going to grow and learn in my skill. Enough to not be a liability in an investigation. Or the situation with the Rotgraften, where I was reliant on Whip O'Brien and Hierophant Wood's marial prowess. Once I learn more, perhaps Helen can continue to teach me.

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-09-23 18:31:10	Jennifer Hazelton rolls 6 to Shadowing Shakesphere in the park (10 Again)	5, 5, 10, 8, 10, 2, 5, 7	3 successes

OOC

The roll is contested with Wits + Composure. I thought a roll could represent who is doing well besides narration.

[Helen Kingsley]

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-09-25 15:23:00	Helen Kingsley rolls 6 to Wits and Composure (10 Again)	3, 4, 10, 3, 6, 5, 7	1 success

"Everything worth learning does."

At least Helen hasn't heard of any shake'n'bake masters just gliding down from above on parachutes just yet. Jennifer manages to stay unhit for quite some time, even as things speed up. Not bad. Helen ponders going in for a bit, but knocking Jennifer on her ass just because she can ? Nah, not yet. No fun !

"That's good. Remember that feeling, it'll help you when the time comes where you won't enjoy stuff, but have to soldier through and embrace the suck without thinking about it too hard." Sooner or latrer the point will come, after all, and then, staying motivated is the real key, really. "Alright, last thing for today: Footwork details. You've been doing pretty good for a starter, just a few things you might want to look out for.

One, if you move forward or left, you start with the lead foot and drag the trail foot the same distance. Two, you move to the right or backwards, you start with the trail foot and follow up with the lead foot. You should move in small measures, not more than four to six inches at a time. Now, if you move diagonally, never start with the foot closest to the direction you're moving towards. Always keep a clean posture."

As she's talking, she makes a few more steps to demonstrate. Not that she hasn't done that stuff the whole time, but she figures Jennifer may have been busy with other things than Helen's feet. Like not getting hit.

"And never, under no circumstances, cross your feet while moving. That'll make it really easy to knock you out of balance. Remember, for you, the floor is fucking lava. Touch it as little as you can. Now, the nice thing about the footwork is that you can practice it on the fly during whatever else you're doing. Takes up little space and once you're better at it, won't distract too much from what the rest of you's doing. So when it fits, pop it in. It pays off."

That was pretty fun, thanks a lot, ready to close ?

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"I feel like I should have done this awhile ago." Jennifer admits. "Another cousin, Castor, was teaching me knife fighting. Yet then a bunch of events happened. I got distracted. He left town. I was a bit younger and flightier."
It was years ago. A personal failure to not manage all of the pulls on her time. A stellar library was worthless if she was unable to defend it. Jennifer thought.
"Always lead..." Jennifer looked at her feet "Move diagonally, never start with the foot closest.."
Jennifer demonstrated Helen's teaching and screwed up, leading with the wrong foot. "Balls. Okay." Jennifer repeated the attempt, jerkingly moving with the proper foot.

"I'll be practicing that for a bit. Footwork feels like it is not my strong suit." Jennifer looks up at Helen, relaxing. "Thank you for taking the time for this meeting. Taking a whole time out when you are involved with a lot of casefiles means a lot. I will keep a few nights held in reserve for you for when you decide what you want me to teach you."

Yes, I am good to close. Thanks for the scene